Lin's Cooking Class
by The Master of Dimensions Jr
Summary: Lin hosts a small cooking class as means to relieve tension from constant Ganglion fighting and Lifehold Core searching, which immediately becomes a competition for a large reward and bragging rights of being a top-notch chef, aside from Lin herself. Takes place pre-Chapter 11.
1. Cooking Time!

**I'll admit that hunger inspired this fic, as well as starting a new save file of Xenoblade Chronicles X just for fun and to check out different options on missions that aren't available on YouTube for some reason or another. Of course, I saved my first playthrough on a separate external drive, so if I ever want to pick it up again, I'd just connect it in before turning on the Wii U. Then again, I did way better the second time than the first, so maybe the old file doesn't matter now.**

 **As for those that have been waiting for another A-Cross Another Life update, I'm really sorry for slacking off on it. School had taken a lot of my time. Though I'm done with school for now, my summer time has been consumed with work and doing my new playthrough. So basically, expect an update at any time.**

 **Consider the timeline of this fic pre-Chapter 11 with a bunch of affinity missions available by then have been completed.**

 **Please understand.**

* * *

"Good day, everyone!" Lin greeted cheerfully. "Glad you all can make it today!"

"Welcome to Linly cooking class!" Tatsu exclaimed, hopping excitedly on the counter.

Standing behind the counter of her large kitchen in the barracks, the both of them addressed their rather sizeable audience of fellow BLADE teammates and acquaintances that have agreed to participate in this activity. A rare bright idea from the Nopon urged Lin to share her passion of cooking with others, which was how this so-called class was started up. Then again, Tatsu probably wanted more food out of the deal.

Regardless of the reason, today was the debut of such a frivolous commotion.

Even with the search of the Lifehold still looming large, many would concur that a bit of relaxing recreational activity now and then would ease the tension even a little. Vandham had even given them the green light provided that he served as a taste tester for the class, much to Tatsu's frustration. He also offered quite a load of credits for whoever reaches the top of the class as an additional incentive for a good meal.

Moving along, Elma and Cross were the first to support her endeavor. Surprisingly enough, Elma was particularly supportive of the notion due to wanting to learn how to cook as she would admit that she was not good at anything outside of BLADE work. She had stated at one point that once the Lifecore Core was secured, she would begin learning other activities outside of BLADE. Cross just wanted to see how this would all play out.

Along with them, Irina and Gwin were in attendance, with Irina wanting to try out Lin's recipes for herself and Gwin coming along for everyone's safety in regards to anything cooked up by his lieutenant's hands… or possibly feet based off on how her dishes wind up tasting.

Doug was often pulled in as a guinea pig for Lin's projects, whether it was Skell flight testing or something else. Then again, the mentioned grand prize was also pretty alluring for the Tough Guy to participate. Even Lao was dragged in after being discharged from the Mimeosome Maintenance Center due to Lin's persistence. He just couldn't say no to her. It also gave Elma the perfect opportunity to monitor any suspicious behavior after their particular run-in with Ga Jiarg and the Wrothians in Sylvalum.

L joined out of pure curiosity with the additional intention of gaining future product inspiration for his shop, need anything be said more?

The announcement of Lin's cooking class had also pulled in a few more open-minded students that Team Elma, mainly Cross, worked with. Celica was eager to learn more about native Earth cuisine to try out with Rock. Hope attended with her friend, Ada, out of politeness. Phog stumbled in on accident while following a trail of ants in the administrative district, but decided to stay anyway. Even more surprising, the Murderess had shown up to check the class out, though it could be inferred that she came due to Vandham offering a huge reward for becoming the top chef of Lin's class. She might have come also due to Irina attending and with a hot temper like hers, she was too easy and amusing to rile up.

Okay, so not everyone Cross had worked with had shown up. It's just one of those days.

"Wow, it looks like the turnout is even bigger than I imagined," Lin commented as her widened eyes scanned through the small classroom. "I think we have enough supplies for everyone to work with if you all can team up in groups of two to three."

"So we're doing hands-on application first day, you're really forward with your teaching, Lin," Murderess quipped cheekily.

"Um, thanks?"

"Hang on," Doug interrupted. "What are we supposed to cook up anyway? You gonna teach us something or what? Have any of us aside from Lin had cooking experience?"

Irina was quick to raise her hand.

"If Lin's cool with it, I don't mind taking the lead," Irina volunteered eagerly. "I know of an old Akulov dish we can make that's to die for."

"I'd normally say something witty about this, but the setup was just too easy," Murderess shrugged.

"And what _were_ you going to say, Murderess?" Irina pressed, folding her arms crossly.

"Since you insisted, I was going to remark that any dish you cook _is_ to die for, not necessarily because they're good," Murderess explained.

"And you're implying that anything I cook is _bad_?!"

"Eh, you said it, not me."

"… It's one thing shooting me in the back, but I draw the line at insulting my cooking, you dirty little−!"

"Children, please!" Lin bellowed loud enough to shock the two of them, as well as the observing class, to silence. Tatsu tripped from the edge of the counter due to the surprising intimidation factor from the Genius Girl. "Do you want to be sent to time-out or what?"

"Sorry, Lin," Irina mumbled humbly while Murderess looked away and huffed a low, inaudible apology under her breath. "Continue."

"Thank you," Lin sighed. "Anyway, Doug has brought up the point about what to make. Like Skell customizing, there's no limit what you guys can or can't do, but you can't burn down the kitchen, which is main rule number one. That's my main lecture for you all today, that the beauty of cooking allows you to create concoctions of your own. That's why I want to encourage you guys to make whatever comes to mind. Make something that YOU would want to eat at any time and at any day. And if you don't have anything in particular to make, then the judges can give you some suggestions to work with."

"This ought to be good," Lao remarked, leaning back on his chair.

"Judges?" Gwin repeated.

"That's your cue!" Lin yelled to the barracks front door.

Upon the signal, the mechanical steel door slid open and several footsteps were heard entering Team Elma's barracks. This new group was led by Nagi and was comprised of at least one representative of the races currently living in New LA. Following him included a female Ma-non named Veverta, a male Tree Clan Prone, a random male Orphe recently produced, a strange human woman called Eri, and a female Wrothian.

"This is quite the party you're holding, Ms. Koo," Nagi commented.

"Secretary Nagi, what brings you here?" Lin inquired. "Not that we're not excited to see you here."

"I'm here on Commander Vandham's behalf," Nagi explained. "Director General Chausson needed to discuss something with him regarding the unity of all xenoforms that have moved into NLA as of late, including the newly immigrated Wrothians."

"Is that all you've come to share with us?" Elma asked, standing up from her seat. "Most of us are already familiar with our attempts in forging an alliance with the Wrothians. What more can be done?"

"I'm afraid that's classified information at the moment," Nagi dismissed. "As for remaining business, it's like I said earlier. I'm here on Vandham's behalf, meaning that I'll be one of your taste-testing judges."

"Wait, one of them?" Doug interrupted.

"Yeah, I decided to have multiple judges from different races to make things more fun and interesting," Lin clarified. "That way, if you're looking for someone to appeal to, then these judges are here for you. That's why I got a member from each race here for the variety aspect. For example, Secretary Nagi is the human representative, Veverta is for the Ma-non, and Tatsu for the Nopon. "

"Tatsu prefer not sharing taste testing judge job, but Linly in charge of cooking class," Tatsu said in passing. "Tatsu would have wound up on dish than be given tasting dish if Linly angry."

"I'll be happy if someone gives me some free pizza, yes?" Veverta voiced.

"Sorry for asking, but if there's supposed to be one representative for each race, then why is there another human?" Celica inquired.

"I'm not really a human, dearie," Eri winked.

"She is a Definian that lived among us since the White Whale crashed onto Mira over two months ago, but has reformed and renounced her ties to the Ganglion," Nagi added. "As for why she was invited, I'm afraid that's up to Ms. Koo to answer."

"Like I said, I aimed for variety, so who knows what good Definians like to eat if they can and want to," Lin surmised, clasping her hands together. "So let's cut the chatter and make a platter! You have a panel of seven judges to appeal to and you have free access to any available resources to cook with. You all have one hour. Best of luck!"

"One last announcement: the 'winner' will have the privilege of having their dish served to the Commander since he's not here in addition to the grand prize money," Nagi added. "Now get to it, students."

"Wow, these guys sure don't waste time," Irina remarked, facing Elma while the others began scrambling, pun intended, up something good. "Let's make Lin proud. Colonel, may I have the honor of teaming up with you for this?"

Elma appeared contemplative while subtly shifting her eyes to look past the Hot Temper's shoulder to see Gwin bearing a horrified look. She heard of the rumors of Irina's cooking skills being very less than subpar. While she did not want to risk the possibility of food poisoning before a crucial mission, she was not one who would give into fear of the unknown. That… and her only potential escape option was immediately dragged into a team by L along with Lao, who happened to also sit next to him at the time.

At least with Cross watching over Lao with some assistance from L, Elma could actually give this cooking activity a shot without having to worry about him while helping Irina improve.

"I'm ready when you are, Irina," Elma replied with a nod. "But for the time being, I think I'll take the lead."

"Fine by me, Colonel," Irina consented.

"I think we'll all have a chance if the Colonel is a better cook than the lieutenant," Gwin muttered, inciting a furious twitch of Irina's ears.

"Are you trying to say something, Gwin?" Irina asked in an eerily calm tone.

"I-I mean, I wanted to see how the Colonel fares in the kitchen since I never seen her cook before," Gwin quickly reasoned.

Fortunately for his present physical health, Irina seemed to have calmed down from his answer. It was a good thing she had such a huge admiration for the Team Leader to sway her from menial matters.

"Don't put too much faith in me," Elma warned the Farmboy. "Personally, I'd rather brew new tea blends than put something on a plate, but Lin's not going to let this one slide. Wielding blades in the wild fields of Mira is one thing. But wielding blades in the kitchen is going to be another story."

Following both women to an empty kitchen station filled with all complementary cooking utensils, Gwin gave a lasting forlorn sigh and mentally predicted all possible vile concoctions the both of them could stir up within the time. His body will never be ready.

"Where's the gallons of drinking water when you need it…"

Meanwhile with Cross and his 'team'…

"I'd really rather not do this," Lao grumbled. "I've got better things to do than play iron chef with the rest of you."

"Ah, but we wish to develop a new revolutionary cuisine for this company we have exchanged the hands with," L begged. "Please consider it, good sir."

"Look, I'm not really good with this," Lao sighed, fighting off the internal guilt. "I haven't picked up a spatula or a measuring spoon in a long time, not since the days we were still on Earth. Besides, you have Cross, who's been said to make some damn good sashimi."

Cross wordlessly shrugged at the notion when L looked at him, granted that he said that to Lin while she was out shopping for ingredients in the commercial district at one point. Personally, he saw himself better at a barbeque pit, but he was in the kitchen, not at an outdoor summer shindig. Nonetheless, he recalled a little experience in cooking and had done so time to time to ease Lin's burden, but it was definitely less than a tenth compared to Lin's skills.

At least he would still fare somewhat better than Elma or Irina.

"And this 'sashimi' is a delectable delicacy by which first taste would rip the pants off someone?" L inquired.

"In a matter of speaking," Lao groaned. "It depends on how it's prepared."

"Oh, hearing this has made our tasting tongue buds glitter in anticipation!" L exclaimed, clasping his hands excitedly, turning to his other human friend. "Cross, would you mind walking with us the way of the sashimi road? Certainly its road is carved with good preventions?"

"Thing is that it's just a small appetizer consisting of thinly sliced raw meat or fish, mainly fish," Cross explained. "There really isn't anything to it aside from how it's presented."

"Tch, appearance is what helps with the appeal in addition to taste," Lao scoffed. "You'll get Secretary Nagi on your side with this, at the very least. Maybe even the Wrothian judge, but then again, that would be stereotyping. Hell if I know, maybe she'd like the fish _because_ she's a cat girl."

"Then, how about making omelets?" Cross suggested. "They're not that difficult to flip. Then again, I handle the frying pan like I would with a sword."

"… …" Lao glowered at the idea; it reminded him too much of the bright Saturday mornings back on Earth when the Huang family was still alive and together. Cross got the idea wouldn't go through with him, but before he could come up with another alternative dish, the Jolly Xeno spoke up in anxiety.

"But why won't you want to help out with the creation of the sashimi?" L asked, still entranced with the idea of sashimi. "Surely, you're closely related to Secretary Nagi?"

"One: name's not 'Shirley,'" Lao quipped, holding up a counting finger before extending another. "Two: he's _Japanese_ and I'm _Chinese_. If you're going to understand past Earth culture, at least understand those distinctions. And three: I really have no reason for being here."

"Not even for Lin?" Cross intervened, folding his arms.

The Master Sniper felt himself stop dead cold in his tracks before he could even leave. With his back turned, it was really hard to tell what was going on his mind now. Cross watched neutrally while L was worried.

A few pensive seconds later, Lao turned around, quickly pulled out a spare white apron, tied it on himself, placed a white chef hat perfectly over his head despite his long hair, tossed spare aprons and chef hats to Cross and L, and twirled a large knife in his fingers as though he was wielding one of his javelins.

"Well, what are you two waiting for?" Lao demanded. "L, get some fresh meat. Salmon, tuna, chicken, whatever you can find before the others can get to them. Cross, you're with me on preparation."

"On it!" Cross and L replied, quickly tying on each other's aprons since L somehow had his on backwards the first time before clambering about to fulfill their respective assignments.

Moving to another team…

"Hey, H-Hope!" Doug greeted, grinning like a fool while waving at her and Ada. "I mean… Uh… Sup!"

"Hi there, Doug," Hope responded cheerily. "What brings you to Lin's cooking class?"

"Bet she dragged him into it like with her previous Skell flight tests," Ada jested.

"Heh, well, let's just say that Lin has a way with words," Doug chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "She isn't a genius mechanic / master chef for nothing."

"I know!" Hope concurred. "I actually want to learn some of Lin's awesome recipes to cook up and give to the hungry. I feel it's the least I can do since all I ever do is just offer some words of comfort."

"But those 'words of comfort' really help out the folks of New LA, you know," Ada said in earnest. "That's the kind of nourishment anyone will ever need. You're just being modest about it as usual, Hope."

"I suppose," Hope replied nervously.

"Um, Hope!" Doug coughed, taking back the Kindly One's attention to resume his original intent. "You see… uh… You've probably seen Lao already working with Cross and L, and most others I know are already in full teams and… um…"

"Would you be willing to team up with Ada and I?" Hope guessed.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Doug grinned. "So could I?"

"Depends on how well he can cook," Ada remarked wryly.

"Of course he can join us," Hope intervened. "I'd be honored to, Doug."

"Thanks!" Doug exclaimed, pumping a victorious fist in the air. "Let's show these foodies how we rule the kitchen, just like how Harriers rule the field! I won't let you ladies down! That's _my_ Harrier style!"

His attempts at witticism got some genuine giggles from Hope. Doug felt good about this. They were on their way to a station while passing by the remaining participants of the class turned competition.

"So… … … … … … … I guess it's just us," Phog mused, watching the activity from everyone else outside of himself, Celica, and the Murderess.

"Brilliant deduction, genius," Murderess groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Guess no one really wants to work with yours truly."

"Um, the name you go by does not exactly inspire trust or comfort," Celica said thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, fairy princess, I know and can take on the consequences of my actions," Murderess replied. "I've made some people upset over petty things, but to me, it's pretty much all water under the bridge at this point. If you need validation, just talk with Cross. He'll vouch for me. Besides, the less people around me, the more money I can keep to myself once this blows over."

"You know what to make, Murderess?" Phog asked.

"Growing up as a daughter of a wealthy tycoon, I was waited on hand and foot by many servants," Murderess explained, sauntering over to an unoccupied station as Phog and Celica followed. "But of course, I was to be bred to uphold my family's glorious name."

"Meaning?" Celica pressed.

"Let's just say I never had a dull moment growing up, at least before a certain incident happened that changed my life drastically," Murderess surmised, inspecting the available kitchen appliances at her station. "I gained many talents as a child from horseback riding, violin playing, and even cooking up gourmet meals to show off to fellow socialites at charity galas."

"You know, all this talk about food is really making me hungry," Phog announced, rubbing his stomach. Murderess raised a brow, wondering how anything aside from the last line she said was related to food. Though she had hinted her ability to cook, this wasn't an appropriate response she was expecting. Then again, this was Phog Christoph she was dealing with. "I really wish I had a slice of my mom's apple pies right about now. They were the best."

"I'm rather feeling a bit peckish myself," Celica mused. "I really want to learn many of your recipes for Rock. I don't care about the reward so please teach me. Please, Phog and Murderess?"

"How can I say 'no' to such a sweet face?" Murderess quipped, ironically bearing a sincere smile as she faced the small Xeno Girl. "You've long sealed the deal when you said I can have your share."

"I can teach you how to make my mom's pies, Celica," Phog offered. "I doubt they'll be as great as hers, but at least you can make dessert for Rock too."

"Splendid!" Celica responded, pressing the tips of her fingers with glee. "Thank you both!"

Lin and Tatsu observed as four contending teams were made. Her selected judges passed the time by chatting among themselves. Secretary Nagi was a big help in keeping everyone sociable and friendly. They all shared their food preferences, with Veverta obviously going for pizza and the Orphe representative expecting something with a lot of vegetation, like a salad. The Prone judge wanted large quantities of meat, simple and straightforward.

That left Eri and the Wrothian judge open for anything. The same could be said for Nagi and Tatsu.

"It looks like they're really getting into it," Lin noted with a bright smile. "Now I want to jump in and join them."

"Linly would blow everyone else out of water," Tatsu pointed out. "Tatsu thought point was for others to learn how to cook for themselves."

"It is," Lin nodded. "Humans are usually more motivated in competition or when something is on the line. I really can't wait to see what they all come up with."

"Tatsu do Dance of Waiting while class cook meals," Tatsu declared, dancing his signature goofy dance.

 _It's really days like these that make us forget we're fighting for our lives on an unknown planet and live as though we're still back home,_ Lin thought, watching the four teams get into action.

* * *

 **This was going to be a one-shot, but it'd be easier to break it up into shorter chapters. This isn't going to be too long, but I'll manage this and my other current fics better. Hope this turns out well!**

 **Have a good one! Please review!**


	2. Come On!

**I really need to learn how to prioritize better. In any case, I'm continuing this fic first because it's planned to be short, just one or two more chapters after this one.**

* * *

Not much can be said about the rising fervor that all participants in Lin Lee Koo's cooking class held as they steadily engaged in improvising their ideal dishes. Lin stayed in the background with Tatsu, observing the various interactions and steps that the four self-made teams performed.

"Man, now I really want to jump in and whip up something great," Lin commented somewhat wistfully.

"It would be no contest for Linly against all of them," Tatsu pointed out.

"Yeah, and it would totally defeat the purpose of them learning by trial and error," Lin added as a sigh. "As long as they don't wind up starting a dangerous fire in my kitchen, then I suppose anything goes. Still, I can't wait to see what our friends come up with."

"Tatsu is in agreement," Tatsu chirped, hopping excitedly in place. "Tatsu can hear stomach calling out to taste hopeful delicious food friends make."

"You'd practically eat almost anything," Lin shot back. "It'll take a unified consensus from the other judges to determine who has been the better cook here."

Tatsu glanced over to where the other food judges were situated. He and Lin briefly watched Secretary Nagi leading the conversation as to make the other judges more sociable.

The Ma-non judge, Veverta, was the first to open up and start chatting the others' ears off, bragging about how she got to live off of her parents instead of having to work. Of course, such a topic brought about mix results that got the other judges to start talking, such as the Orphe and Wrothian judges being against such an unproductive lifestyle. Erio, the Definian judge, attempted to mediate the situation while the Prone judge remained indifferent to the whole thing.

"You know, I should check up on each team to make sure that they're doing okay," Lin proposed. "Like a sneak peak of sorts."

"Ooh, can Tatsu come along?" Tatsu asked eagerly, eyes sparkling behind his round glasses.

"Sorry, Tatsu, but you have to remain impartial as a judge," Lin responded, shaking her head while picking up the rather portly Nopon, much to his dismay. "Besides, I'm the cooking expert here."

"Meh-meh-meh!" Tatsu huffed, flailing his limbs and wing-like arms in a tantrum.

Lin took him over to where the other judges stayed. Secretary Nagi was the first to notice her arrival and greeted her with a silent hand wave.

"Ms. Koo, to what pleasure do we owe having you here?" Nagi inquired.

"Sorry, Secretary Nagi, but would you mind also babysitting this one?" Lin replied, holding up Tatsu before him.

"Tatsu no need to be sat like baby!" Tatsu exclaimed in outrage.

"It would be my honor," Nagi chuckled, taking hold of the Nopon as Lin handed him over. "As you might tell, my fellow judges are currently in a heated debate over work ethics with Veverta against nearly everyone. I'm curious to hear what Tatsu has to say about the matter."

"There you go, Tatsu!" Lin concluded, clasping her hands. "Now you won't be bored while I check out how our students are doing."

"Hmm, Tatsu suppose it fine," Tatsu mumbled, calming down before Nagi placed him on the ground. "Tatsu can settle argument with persuasive Nopon charm."

"Yeah, you do that," Lin assured, sending a quick thumbs up before taking her leave back to the kitchen.

Her first stop was with Elma and her team of Irina and Gwin. Lin was very curious on what her almighty Team Leader was capable of in the kitchen… or possibly not. But she wasn't going to make an early judgment call just yet.

"Irina, are you sure that it's supposed to turn purple?" Elma asked, staring into the contents of the large pot before her.

"It's the special hot sauce for my homemade enchiladas," Irina assured. "This should be plenty for all of our judges. This sauce gets its extra kick from rare Indian spices. Thankfully, I have Gwin to experiment the spiciness with many herbs and powders whenever I get in the mood."

In the background, Gwin blanched from the mention. He said nothing the whole time the cooking began out of sheer fear. He really did not want to be the one to ruin Irina's good mood. He had worked on setting up the enchiladas, but that was about it.

"Mixing Middle Eastern ingredients for a Central American dish is certainly thinking out of the box, Irina," Elma remarked with a bit of awe. "Is this the kind of lesson Lin wanted us to learn about being creative in cooking?"

"Something like that," Lin intervened, waving to the women. "Irina is really fired up over this, isn't she?"

"I sure am, Lin," Irina replied, bearing an uncharacteristically wide grin. It was rare for her to smile this brightly. "I'm so glad the higher-ups let you start this class. From all the missions and BLADE work, I almost never have time to hone my cooking skills. And best of all, the Colonel is actually looking up to ME for guidance! It's so surreal, but so fulfilling at the same time."

"It's only natural to look up to you since you clearly have the greater expertise in this field," Elma nodded. "I'm also fortunate to learn from someone I can trust anywhere and any time. I await further orders, Irina."

"Come now, Colonel, no need to sound so stiff," Irina grinned.

"Drop that 'Colonel' title and I think we'd be more on familiar grounds," Elma smiled back.

Irina was quick to look away and pretend to have a fascination with the nearby ingredients while fighting off the glowing blush on her face. At the meantime, Lin was curious on how their enchilada sauce was turning out, but not before Gwin inconspicuously tapped her on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't get too close if I were you," Gwin whispered. "The lieutenant is enthusiastic in regards to cooking, but that's about it."

"Come on, Gwin, have some faith in your fellow teammates," Lin jested, sending a soft elbow nudge in his ribs.

He warned her.

Simply hovering her head over the metal pot with the unique purple sauce did Lin felt that her face was going to melt off and expose her mimeosome skull. The fumes of the spicy sauce were apparently _that_ potent to induce such an overwhelming feeling of dread.

"Lin, you feeling alright?" Gwin prompted after noticing the Genius Girl's frozen expression of unsavory abhorrence. "Lin?"

"… Huh, oh right," Lin mumbled, shaking herself active and out of the sauce's noxious trance. "I, uh, better check on the others to see their progress."

"You sure you're feeling fine, Lin?" Elma asked, having caught on to her previous display of weakness. "It looked like that sauce threw you for a loop."

"What'd I tell ya!" Irina exclaimed. "My enchilada sauce is guaranteed to knock anyone's socks off!"

"Probably 'cause you used your own socks as the secret ingredient," Gwin jested in a low tone, which was unfortunately picked up by Irina's ears; Lin quickly shuffled away with the attention off her after sensing major trouble coming in like a sudden thunderstorm.

"What was that, soldier?!" Irina barked, which prompted Elma to physically hold her back from doing something potentially regrettable against the Farm Boy. "Must I use Brainjack as punishment for your insubordination?"

"You can't be serious!" Gwin yelped, holding his hands up in immediate surrender. "That's both cruel and unusual!"

"Maybe, but with you under control, at least you could put your mouth to better use than idling about with useless snarking," Irina warned, an evil grin slowly growing on her face. "As a matter of fact, I have plenty of ideas to put that joking tongue of yours to good use."

"Oh, geez… Elma, help?"

"She's not really going to kill you or subject you to Brainjack as that would be illegal, not to mention total abuse of power," Elma said, folding her arms sternly. "However, considering that you haven't been giving her proper respect, the best I can do is help her decide on a more appropriate and less… drastic punishment."

"Oh, don't you worry about a thing, Colonel," Irina assured, not letting up on her eerily calm temperament. "If Gwin has something to say, then it'd be best for him to say it now before I make him say it."

Gwin attempted to take a deep breath and stand his ground. If they were to stand at least a decent chance in this cooking competition, something had to be done. At least if he was going to go down, either in battle or from gravely upsetting the lieutenant, then he would be doing so as a real man.

Speaking of real men…

"Wow, Lao, you're really feeling it!" Lin commented, watching the Master Sniper's expert display in slicing up meat.

"Lin, that joke has practically been done to death," Lao grumbled, not letting up in his dicing.

Next to him, L was sorting out the various meat products he managed to obtain before the other teams shoved him aside. He handed salmon first to Lao and as of now, he was judging between the tuna and a large slab of raw ribeye steak. Lao never really specified which meats to pick out, and besides, throwing in the variety of meat for their sashimi plate should certainly earn them some bonus points. But in regards to the meat outside of fish, they might require a little more attention as to prevent unnecessary illness.

On the other side of Lao, Cross was working with the vegetables. He worked on shredding up the keppo carrots into long strands as part of the presentation side. In addition, he was working on carving out the leaves of a fordornallow greens he picked up a while ago. He also managed to save up a cup of yaya sesame to throw into the sashimi meat for extra flavor.

"It seems that you guys know what you're doing," Lin added as a final remark, glancing at Cross. "Who would've thought that you'd actually be making sashimi for me?"

"Never gave me a chance," the amnesiac shrugged. "Lao's the one mostly working on it anyway. Still, all of us would rather have you cook considering you're the only one that does it right."

"Come on, have some confidence in yourselves!" Lin reassured.

"Indeed, this activity has opened our windows to new know-hows," L spoke up. "This reminds us, we have concocted a special delectable dipping sauce originally targeted towards the 'knuckle foods' you humans made, such as, how you say, pigs in quilts."

"Okay… how's that relevant to our needs now?" Lao inquired.

"L is probably suggesting using his dipping sauce for your sashimi," Lin clarified.

"That hits the nail on the cranium!" L responded joyously, to which Lin rolled her eyes; he was close enough as always. "The alluring flavor of this sauce is sure to make every tongue bow and every knee confess of the greatness of our culinary revolution."

"Not to shoot you down, but sashimi doesn't usually require dipping sauce; sushi does," Lao explained. "But hey, if we're to take in more suggestions to our plate, then how about Lin handing us over the talking potato for us to feast on?"

"Nice try, Lao, but you know that Tatsu would still need another hundred grams before he could be properly served," Lin jested. "He's still not filling enough as he is now."

"Fair enough," Lao relented.

"What about L's sauce?" Cross reminded, much to the Jolly Xeno's delight. "We haven't resolved that issue yet. And personally, I see no problem giving it a shot if it passes preliminary testing."

"It's an anything goes, remember?" Lin added. "You are using different meats for the sashimi, it seems. And the vegetables that Cross is chopping up are really going to make you guys look good, possibly good enough to _tip the scales_."

" _Lin_ ," Lao warned.

"I regret nothing!" Lin cheered, skipping to another team before she could irritate Lao with another overused, memetic line.

"That is the close one," L whispered to Cross. "We could sense that Lao is reaching his melting point."

"I suppose she'll get her chance another day," Cross muttered with another shrug.

"No, she won't," Lao interrupted with a furious sneer. "But you two, on the other hand, will get yours today if you don't get back to work. I'll have none of that kind of nonsense here."

As a means to curb his irritated temperament, he momentarily left to recollect his thoughts alone. Of course, he didn't flee from the barracks. There were too many witnesses to take that risk. In any case, Cross and L merely exchanged confused glances before silently deciding to continue their dish until Lao returned.

Lin appeared to have a better time visiting Hope's team. They decided on making a dessert instead of attempting a standard full course meal. There was nothing in the rules against that as long as they've learned something useful and applicable out of all this.

Unlike the previous teams she had visited, there was barely any conflict as far as the eye could perceive. Hope easily got along with her teammates, Ada and Doug. Ada respected Hope's opinions and was willing to help her out as means to reciprocate the help she received in the past. As for Doug, well, it was clear even to Lin that he was rather smitten with her. Then again, most guys in New LA were smitten with her as she was practically considered the guardian angel of NLA due to her kind saintly ways.

"This is a difficult one you're pulling off, Hope," Lin commented. "Crème brûlée is a dish that even I have difficulty making. Placing that caramel layer on top of the custard is very tricky, but that's just one thing I had issues with. There's making the custard and caramel layer come out right separately."

"No worries, Lin," Doug intervened, holding up several medium-sized ramekins in his firm hands. "I feel like the only hard parts to this were finding these things to put the crème brûlée in."

"We've got our groups dynamics figured out from the get-go," Ada explained. "Hope found a doable crème brûlée recipe from a recently recovered Lifehold archive that held a huge library of exquisite recipes, making her our team leader. Our big man, Doug, fetched all of the ingredients and cooking utensils needed for this endeavor and then some. And I am basically coordinating how this recipe is gonna go down."

"Wow, you guys are really on the ball with this," Lin commended. "You definitely have high marks from me. I _love_ crème brûlée!"

"That means so much coming from you, Lin," Hope replied sweetly, placing a hand upon her heart. "I know it's not a suitable meal on its own, but I'd like to think of it as a comfort food I can give to others in need."

"A comfort food that's not easy to make, but if you're going to put in that much effort, then by all means!" Lin concurred. "Hope you save some for me! I'd definitely need it after all those missions."

"Then it works out in the end," Hope said, smiling brightly.

"Yo, Lin, have you checked up on Lao's team yet?" Doug asked.

"Oh, he appears to be doing well with Cross and L keeping him grounded," Lin explained. "Anyway, I have one more team to check up on, if you guys excuse me."

"Come on, don't you have any more cooking wisdom to share with us?" Ada pressed.

"You know I can't actually help you guys as much as I love what you guys are cooking up, but remember that you're welcome to try out anything you feel would be appropriate for your recipe," Lin offered, preparing her leave. "See you guys at the end of the hour!"

The Genius Girl left before Ada could shoot another question. This left her for a moment to consider her last words before facing Hope and Doug, with the latter attempting to awkwardly flirt with her friend once again. It kind of reminded how she and her boyfriend originally started out. He was really sweet when the occasion would call for it.

In any case, it started to make her wonder how a relationship between Hope and Doug would turn out. Doug did turn out a bit intimidating due to his brutish size and looks, but was ultimately considered a gentle giant of sorts considering that he easily went along with many of Lin's trial runs and tests. He could definitely offer the kind of sturdy, supportive shoulder Hope would need after a whole day listening to the problems of NLA residents.

But right now, they had crème brûlée to make… or experiment with.

"Hey, you two!" Ada called out, feeling a bit of regret for having to break up their moment. "What'd you say we add some personal touches to the recipe? I have some ideas for layer toppings and custard mix we can try!"

Now to the last, but not least, the team of unique misfits…

"Never thought anyone here would use the reserves of goose liver we have," Lin mused. "I should've figured you'd go for something fancy, Murderess."

She watched the Deadly One begin the preparations for a dish she made not too long ago herself: foie gras. The livers she retrieved were rather plump to start with, but now she was making a careful incision in one probably to stuff it up even more.

"This is the kind of delicacy I grew up with, so of course anything less just won't do," Murderess reasoned. "Besides, I'm gunning for the prize money. I'm going all out for this one. It's too bad I don't have Cross on my team, though. I could tell he'd be wonderful with this kind of thing."

"He is really good at cutting up stuff," Phog noted, pointing at a fair distance where their team and Lin could see him quickly carving up more leaves from another fordornallow greens.

"Come on, you guys are pretty talented yourselves," Lin reassured.

"To be honest, Lin, I don't think I've done much for our dish," Phog admitted. "So far, I shared my mom's apple pie recipe with Celica, just as I remember it."

"It does sound delish, you know," Celica spoke up in his defense. "The apple pie Phog recommended is a must for after meals and snack hours, but I know we need to help Murderess out for this class of yours. I want to learn how this foie gras is made."

"It's not really something you can have everyday unless you're made of money or have an easy access to goose liver, fairy princess," Murderess said rather disapprovingly. "Elma's team is lucky to have a good storage of liver. As much as I hate to say this, I have to recommend something of less class for you, dear."

"I'm open to any and all kinds of Earth dinner cuisines if I can share them with Rock," Celica asserted.

"Always thinking about that gargantuan friend of yours, so selfless," Murderess remarked with a quick roll of her eyes. "You know it's perfectly okay for you to think about yourself for once instead of coddling him."

"I _don't_ coddle him!" Celica retorted hotly. "As a matter of fact, Rock has become a hardworking citizen that's earning his stay in this lovely city. I almost never see him during the day."

"So Rock is enjoying his work in construction?" Lin jumped in to defuse the situation, which fortunately redirected the Xeno Girl's temperament back to her peaceful self.

"Indeed he does, Lin," Celica replied. "It's so fulfilling to watch him use his strength for beneficial purposes. I can't wait to see the houses he gets to build with his own two hands."

"That's good to hear," Lin nodded. "And if you want to pick up on more Earth recipes, come see me once this is over. I can guide you to a repository of recipes retrieved from our latest Lifehold archive hunt."

"That would be splendid," Celica responded, graciously clasping onto one of Lin's hands. "Thank you so much, Lin."

"Wow, she really is motivated because of how protective she is of Rock," Murderess pondered, wearing a neutral expression. "It's not a bad thing, but it's not often you see such an innocent idealist stay this stalwart once all crap hits the ceiling fan."

"Rock is her only companion despite becoming friends with Team Elma," Phog rationalized. "You can't really blame Celica if she does come off a bit clingy towards Rock."

"That's… bizarrely insightful on what you said," Murderess quipped with a raised brow. "Guess you really aren't a waste of oxygen after all."

"Um… … I guess that's a compliment from you?" Phog chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"You know, with this string of good insights from someone like you, I'd be a fool not to take advantage of it," Murderess continued with a slight predatory look. "How's about you put that big brain of yours into enhancing this rather dull foie gras?"

"You… … … really want to listen to what I have to say?" Phog asked incredulously.

"Why not?" she shrugged. "I'm sure dear Celica would benefit from this and inspire her to come up with her own spin-off recipes."

"I heard my name; what's going on?" Celica prompted after a twitch of her furry elfish ears, facing away from Lin.

"I know you want to work hard here in New LA to make a life for you and Rock," Murderess began, her features subtly softening as she spoke. "Help Phog and me out and I'll follow through with my promise of sharing the knowledge of all rich Earth cuisine I can remember."

"Oh my!" Celica gasped, her eyes practically sparkling with joy. "This is so kind of you. You humans really are kindred spirits."

" _Please_ don't mention it," Murderess grinned through her teeth. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but it did feel nice to help others out. Celica was such a sweet soul. "Let's get going, shall we?"

Celica gave an enthusiastic nod before joining her and Phog, leaving Lin to her lonesome self. She smiled upon reflecting upon the progress she had seen from all the teams. The truth be told, she was very eager to see the end results of this class competition.

"… Great, now what _am_ I going to do for the remainder of the hour?" Lin huffed, placing her hands on her hips as she glanced all around the barracks. "It hasn't even been thirty minutes yet."

* * *

 **I hope I did alright with the development for each team. Some were funny, others possibly not as much. I guess it's all a matter of opinion.**

 **Please review!**


End file.
